The 2005 Silverado Hybrid

[asepgrad98]

I dont think GM has a got a winner here. What are your thoughts.

[mcreyaufmiller]

I would rather spend the money on the gas and not have to worry about eh electric crap. I perfer the feel of a V-8 when you mush the pedal!!

 

Mike

[asilverblazer]

I think there is more to it than being a guinea pig. It is showning our support towards alternative fuels, we need to push auomotive manufacturers to develope these ideas if we want to see improvements in them.

 

The gasoline engine has only become what it is today through millions upon millions of dollars of research and developement, automakers won't spend that money on researching and developing these alternatives unless we show a profitable market for them.

[JimG]

Interesting idea - certainly something that should be explored.

However, I can't justify the cost difference b/t the hybrid and the regular model. Now if gas was $10/gallon .... different story.

[GMCSierra04]

I say yes, it is something to get if your in the market for a silverado/sierra 2wd or 4wd. For my 2004 Sierra SLT w/Z71, the tag was 37k and change. I can get a 4x4 Sierra Hybrid for the same amount of money with the same options and everything PLUS that truck has 2 or 3 AC 110 volt outlets, 10,000 watt generator and it gets better gas mileage.

 

The Hybrid drives the same as any other GM 1500 except under light acceleration it uses the electric motor, coasting under 15mph it shuts the engine off, when you come to a stop and are idleing it also shuts the engine off to save gas. Using regenerative braking via the ISA (intergrated starter/alternator) along with another generator just designated for recharging I believe, the 42v batt gets recharged. It is seemless operation and you wouldnt even know it was happening if you weren't paying attention. The engine can be started up within 2/10th of a second so the power is there when ever you need it and for hard acceleration it only uses the electric motor up to a certin RPM (dont remember what it is though) and then it only uses the engine.

 

I dont understand why so many are against these machines, yes there is more electronic components and wiring in the truck but its nothing more than any other newer vehicle. There are very few do it yourselfers left that can tackle OBD I & II system problems or anything electrical for that matter and its only going to get more complicated as technology progresses. I dont think these are out there so the consumers can be guinea pigs, look how many years the toyota prius has been around and they have picked up in sales. Especially when gas prices first passed 2 bucks, those things had waiting lists to get them. Only time will tell how good these will sell for GM, I think once people see all their benifits they will do okay. Thats just my 2 cents.

[macifre]

Totally agree with you GMCSierra04, it is worth exploring, and it WILL be the only option in a few years. I also think it is not only the automakers responsability to find a better option than petroleum derivates but it is ours as well. They still give warranty don't they? So how are we gonna move forward if no one is willing to move?

 

just my thoughts

[03Bluerado]

I am not against it but I think they could have done better...

 

My 03 1500 4x4 reg cab 4.8 5 speed with 3:73 has averaged 17mpg over 40K, I can get 20mpg on the hwy all day long if I keep it at 55.

[Hecktorx]

I am not against it but I think they could have done better...

 

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I agree. It is a step in the right direction, but a half step. I do mostly highway driving and keep vehicles for a long time. The savings in fuel won't justify the cost for me. And the added mechanics and replacement battery costs could end up biting you in the end when the warrenty ends. Heck, the added weight could end up hurting my gas milage.

[sperry]

I'm intrigued with the technology but I'll lean toward the "wait & see". But at this time, I have an almost 3 ton 4X4 with me in it, w/15K on the odo, getting close to 21 MPG on trips. I would have the interest if I had a lot of stop-start commutes and the mileage yeild was a bit better (with the same power).

[mcreyaufmiller]

I think the milage to the issue here, yeah, it may be a good idea, but for now, the milage benefit does not outway the cost.

[scooter70]

I drove one about a year ago and I couldn't tell that it was a hybrid until someone told me (and the engine shut off when I stopped at a light). Acceleration seemed brisker than my 5.3, 3.73 rear, with 285BFG tires so don't be afraid that it's a wussy truck. This truck is only a "mild" hybrid and it still has a V8. It's not a true hybrid like the Japanese cars or the Ford Escape. In my hybrid research (for my graduate school thesis) I ran across a quote from a GM chief engineer that said something to the effect of "We aren't doing this truck to increase fuel economy. We're doing it so that we can add more content and not lose economy." I'm paraphrasing, but that was the jist of his comment. I can find the source, if need be.

[mcreyaufmiller]

That sounds cool, but I still do not think I would want one for myself. I do not like to buy the first year os any new model. Found them always to have problems.

[99silveradoz71]

ASilver has a point, interest must be shown in this stuff. It must be worthwhile for the General and others to put the cash into R&D on the altenative fuels. I think it's always good when they're checking out these options and looking beyond the current products.

[GnatGoSplat]

I'd love to have one.

For the additional complexity, I would have thought they could squeeze out more than 2mpg though.

[ToeJam]

If I was looking for a truck right now, I wouldn't buy it for two reasons. One, I never buy anything the first year and this definitely fits into that category. I'd rather wait for GM to work out the electrical gremlins. Two, only getting two MPG better seems pretty weak (as others have said). Now, when I'm looking for a new truck in 1-2 years and if they offer it in a crew cab, then I might take a serious look. I'm all for bettering the environment...but I'm also all for my V8. It's a delemma....